Justice News

Former Business Owner Sentenced for $500,000 Tax Evasion

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a former business owner was sentenced in federal court today for tax evasion after failing to pay more than $530,000 in taxes owed.

William Fielding Jones, 56, of Clearwater Beach, Fla. (formerly of Kansas City, Mo.), was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to two years in federal prison without parole. The IRS is responsible for collecting $530,059 in restitution.

Jones, who pleaded guilty on Sept. 4, 2013, previously owned two companies – SAM Packaging and Mustang Innovation. Jones admitted that he attempted to evade paying income taxes for tax years 2006-2008, during which time he accumulated a tax debt of $530,059.

Jones evaded paying taxes by concealing bank accounts, changing the name of his business, making payments in cash to avoid using bank accounts, and concealing his true financial condition from the government.

According to court documents, Jones didn’t withhold taxes or make estimated payments from at least 2005 to 2011. During this time, his average annual income was nearly $170,000. After moving to Florida in 2010, Jones lived in a furnished luxury beach condominium in Clearwater with a rent of $2,900 per month. He drove a Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac CTS.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.